Meanwhile, Aria remained kneeling near the back, her fingers curled tight, knuckles white.
Her eyes slid toward the corner of the room—where Dante sat quietly, as if the chaos had nothing to do with him. His face showed nothing. His posture was loose, unbothered. The shouting, the threats, the cruelty—none of it drew a reaction. He was so still that the thugs hadn’t even clocked him as part of the room.
Disgust flickered across Aria’s face.
Celeste married him?
A man who watches while we’re cornered? Pathetic.
The thought burned. She vowed silently that no man beside her in the future would ever shrink into the background like this.
Her restraint snapped.
“That’s enough!” she barked, shooting to her feet. Her voice cut through the room. “Back off, or I swear I’ll call the cops!”
Th
